Screw-driver.



SCREW DRIVER.

APPLICATION FILEDAPR. 9. 19x5.

Patented Mar. 6, 1917 LLOYD n. OHL, or AKRON, orrro.

SCREW-DRIVER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Ma1z6, 1917.

Application filed April 9, 1915. Serial N 0. 20,240.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it kIlOWn that I, LLOYD R. OHL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Akron, in the county of Summit and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Screw-Drivers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to screw drivers, and more particularly that'type which embody means for holding a screw to the bit of the tool while being driven or removed.

It is one aim of the invention to provide a screw driver of the type mentioned in which the screw holding means will be adapted to firmly engage and securely hold screws of various sizes to the bit of the shank so that they may be conveniently driven or removed, and the tool is especially adapted for the driving and removal of screws located in more or less inaccessible places and where it would be impractical to hold the screw by hand while driving or removing the same.

Another aim of the invention is to so construct the screw holding means that after the screw has been started the means may be adjusted so as to not interfere with the ordinary operation of the tool.

Another aim of the invention is to so construct the tool and the screw holding means that the means may be readily disengaged from the shank of the tool to permit of the tool being employed as an ordinary screw driver, should it not be desired to make use of the said means.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the tool embodying the present invention, the view illustrating in full lines the positions of the parts when holding the screw head to the bit of the shank; in dotted lines, the positions of the parts when the screw head is disengaged or about to be engaged; and in dot and dash lines, the positions of the parts when the screw holding means is inactive.

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a similar view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the tool with the screw holding means removed.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the resilient screw engaging member of the tool.

Fig. 6 is a detail view partly in elevation and partly in longitudinal section of the forward end of the screw engaging member.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawings by the same reference characters.

The tool includes the usual handle 1 and shank 2 which is provided with the ordinary form'of bit 3 for engagement with the head of a screw. The shank 2 is provided with a flattened portion 4 which extends from the inner end of the bit 3 a suitable distance longitudinally of one side of the shank 2, and the opposite side of the shank is formed with spaced notches 5 and 6, the notch 6 being located next adjacent the handle 1 and the notches having their forward walls abrupt .so as to form stop shoulders for a purpose to be presently explained.

The screw engaging and holding means embodying the invention includes a screw engaging member which is formed from a length of resilient metal having a flat intermediate portion 7 designed to be disposed and rest against the flattened side 1 of the shank 2. At its forward end the member is bent outwardly at an angle, as indicated at 8, and the extremity of the portion 8 is turned inwardly to form a head 9 provided in its end with a notch 10, the wall of which is ap proximately semi-circular so as to embrace one side of the shank of a screw below the head thereof. At the other end of the portion 7 the said member is curved outwardly, as at 11, and thence inwardly, as at 12, to provide a tongue 13 which, when the member is properly assembled with the shank 2,

extends substantially at right angles with.

relation to the said shank. This portion 13 is formed near its extremity with an opening 14 having a straight wall 15 and a curvilinear wall 16. The opening 14: receives the shank 2, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2 ofthe drawings, and the edge of the straight wall 15 of the opening is adapted to be seated selectively in the notches 5 and 6 in the operation of the tool, as will be presently explained. In order that the screw engaging member may be slidably held upon the shank 2 and in order that the head 9 thereof may be adjusted with relation to the bit 3, a sleeve 17 is slidably fitted upon the said shank and embraces the shank substantially throughout the length of the flattened portion thereof and also the portion 7 of the screw engaging member. For convenience in manipulating the sleeve 17 it is preferably exteriorly knurled, as indicated at 18.

In using the device, the screw engaging member 7 is slid to the full line position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, in which position the wall 15 of the opening 14: will engage in the notch 5 and the head 9 of the said member will be located opposite and slightly in advance of the engaging end of the bit 3. The sleeve 17 is then slid rearwardly a short distance so that its end which is adjacent the handle 1 will ride against the curved or inclined portion 11 of the said member, and as the portion 8 has a tendency to spring outwardly, the head 9 will, upon such movement of the sleeve, occupy the position shown in dotted lines in the said Fi g. l. The head of a screw to be driven is then placed against the engaging end of the bit 3 and thesleeve 17 is slid forwardly so that its forward end will ride upon the portion 8 of the screw engaging member. By thus manipulating the sleeve, the head 9 is moved laterally inwardly so as to bring the wall of. its notch 10 in engagement with the shank of the screw. The screw is then driven by manipulating the tool in the ordinary manner, and after it has entered the work a sufficient distance, the sleeve 17 is first slid rearwardly a short distance and the screw engaging member is then also slid rearwardly or, in other words, toward the handle 1 so that it will assume the dot and dash line position shown in Fig. 1, in which position the wall 15 of the opening 14: will engage in the notch 6 and the end of the head 9 will rest against one flat side of the bit 3. In removing a screw, the above described operation is reversed, and after the screw has left the work it will be held to the bit 3 in the same manner as pointed out above.

In order that the sleeve 17 may more snugly fit about the shank of the screw driver and about the head portion of the screw engaging member 7, the side edges of the said member are beveled, as indicated by the numeral 19. Also in order that the sleeve may better cooperate with the portions 8 and 11 of the said screw engaging member, when it is slid along the shank of the screw driver, these portions are preferably gradu ally increased in width toward the forward and rear ends of the members respectively. To better adapt the device for engagement with the head of a'screw, the inner face of the portion 9 of the member 7 is beveled along the edges of the wall of the notch 10 as clearly shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a tool of the class described, a shank having a bit, a screw engaging member slidably disposed against the shank and mov able to position its screw engaging portion in and out of cooperative relation to the bit of the shank, and means movable longitudinally of the shank and with relation to the screw engaging member to laterally adjust the screw engaging portion of the said member with relation to the hit of the shank.

2. In a tool of the class described, a shank having a bit, a resilient screw engaging member slidably disposed against the shank and movable to position its screw engaging portion in and out of cooperative relation to the bit of the shank, the said member having a portion inclined with relation to the shank, and means movable longitudinally of the shank to cooperate with the inclined portion of the screw engaging member to adjust the screw engaging portion of the said member with relation to the bit of the shank.

3. In a tool of the class described, a shank having a bit, a screw engaging member disposed against the shank and having a screw engaging portion movable into and out of cooperative relation to the bit of the shank, the said member being resilient and its said portion being inclined outwardly from the said shank and being gradually increased in width in the direction of its end, and a sleeve slidable upon the shank and arranged to cooperate at one end with the said screw engaging portion of the screw engaging member.

4. In a tool of the class described, a shank having a bit and provided with a flattened side, a screw engaging member having a portion disposed against the flattened side of the shank and having a portion inclined with relation to the first mentioned portion and having a tendency to spring laterally away from the shank, the first-mentioned portion of the screw engaging member having its upper side at its edges beveled, and a sleeve slidably fitted upon the shank and arranged to cooperate with the said inclined portion of the said member to adjust the screw engaging portion of the said member'with relation to the bit of the shank.

5. In a tool of the class described, a shank having a bit and provided with a flattened side, a resilient screw engaging member having a flat intermediate portion disposed against the flattened side of the said shank, the forward end portion of the said member being extended laterally at an angle with re lation to the said shank and being provided with a terminal head notched for engagement with a screw to be held, the rear end portion of the said member being extended laterally and rearwardly at an angle with relation to the said shank and having an in wardly extending terminal portion provided with an opening through which the said shank extends the said shank being provided with spaced notches selectively engageable by one wall of the opening whereby the said member may be held at the forward or rearward limit of its sliding movement with relation tothe shank, and a sleeve slidably fitted upon the shank and embracing the said shank and the intermediate portion of the said member. I

6. In a tool of the class described, a shank provided at one end with a bit, the said shank having a flattened side, a resilient screw engaging member having its intermediate portion disposed against the flattened side of the shank, and a sleeve surrounding the shank at the said intermediate portion of the screw engaging member and slidable longitudinally of the shank, the said screw engaging member being slidable upon the shank and independently of the said sleeve, one end of the said member projecting beyond the forward end of the sleeve and laterally inclined away from the said shank and provided with a terminal inwardly laterally projecting -head having a screw reeeiving notch therein, the other end of the screw engaging member projecting beyond the rear end of the said sleeve and laterally at an angle from the shank and provided with a terminal portion extending laterally inwardly and having an opening receiving the said shank, the shank being provided with spaced notches and one wall of the said opening being engageable selectively in the notches whereby to hold the screw engaging member in its positions of adjustment, adjustment of the said member longitudinally of the shank serving to move its screw engaging head into and out of operative relation to the bit of the shank, and adjustment of the sleeve longitudinally of the shank in a forward direction serving to move the said head of the member laterally inwardly toward the bit of the shank.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LLOYD R. OHL. a s.]

Witnesses:

CHAS. L. WIRTH, H. F. SOHLEGEL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G. 

